Friday, October 17, 2008

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday BetsyThis is my sweet little sister with whom I share a birthday. Yes for my 13th birthday I got a sister. I love her beyond words and always have. She is beautiful, strong, independent, and really really smart. She has provided me with two sweet nephews and a niece that is cute enough to eat.

She is a much better writer than I am so I am going to let you find out more about her in her own words.

First of all, Happy Birthday! One of the coolest things about being me is sharing my birthday with my sister--I don't personally know anyone else who shares a birthday with a sibling. Thanks so much for featuring me on your blog today!

What is your favorite book Unpossible! I love too many books to choose just one. Some of my favorites are: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, and My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. I'm sure I'll shortly think of 35 others I should have listed, as well.

What is your favorite color I love cool blues, greens, and purples.

What kind of music do you like I enjoy a whole smorgasborg of musical genres, from opera to bluegrass and most everything in between. Lately, I've been listening to Feist, Bob Marley, and U2. The kids and I have regular ABBA dance parties in the living room. I'll be sad when they get old enough to be embarrassed by dancing around with Mom. We also listen to a lot of Hearts of Space, which is a show featuring ambient, new age type music--Brian Eno, Enya... that kind of thing.

What is your proudest moment? I am really proud of all three of my childrens' births, but my daughter's home birth has a special place in my heart. I'm also proud of having completed three novel manuscripts so far.

What are you most afraid of? I'm not afraid of death, but I'm afraid of leaving my children motherless, or even worse, orphaned altogether. There's nothing like being a parent to really bring out mortality anxiety.

What are you really good at?I'm really good at cooking, and I enjoy it quite a bit. I'd also like to think I'm pretty good at writing, although I am still learning and growing as a writer. My most recently-completed novel, a Regency-set romance entitled Reconciliation, is currently under consideration with a NY literary agent. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

What is your favorite time of day? I love quiet mornings when I watch the sun slowly light and warm the woods behind our house. It's also the time of day before I get caught up in children and chores. I have the energy to appreciate that period of the day.

What is your favorite childhood memory?I always loved going out to Utah to visit Grandma Vel. The West is such a different landscape from what I'm used to, it was almost like visiting a different country. She treated us without spoiling. Grandma never talked down to me as a kid. I always knew that my thoughts were important to her. I always felt really good about myself on those visits, which is as much a part of the memory as the wild mountains she lives in.

What is your favorite memory of me? Ooo, I can't choose just one. You were moved out of the house already by the time I really knew what was going on. I always loved it when you came home to visit. You were my special big sister who was already all grown up, and it was such a treat when I got to spend time with you. It's still a treat to spend time with you! There was one occasion in particular I can think of that was not "favorite" in the good sense. It was actually a really bad day. But I needed you to be with me, and you were. There wasn't anyone else in the world I would have had with me that day. I'll never forget that when I needed my big sister the most, you were there--without question, without judgment, without reservation--just there.